Just a Feeling
by DuckTailXox
Summary: So the S3 E6 scene with Chandler and Kent arguing annoyed me cause it didn't end how I wanted it to so I decided to write it show it should have happened. When Kent finally mans up and tells Chandler how he feels cause goddamnit he's taking his damn time. Kent/Chandler The first of my Kent/Chandler Oneshot series


**AN: So I was watching this scene and it bugged me that it ended where it did so I decided to make an adapted oneshot of what I reckon should of happen. Basically my addled shipping mind is messing with the plot again.**

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"Can I talk to you, sir?" Kent broached, hoping the man wouldn't just dismiss him and doing his upmost best to keep up with his DI's long strides.

"If you're quick." Chandler snipped, not even stopping his movement and simply expecting the youngest DC to keep up, which he always did.

"I'm concerned about Morgan Lamb." The young man said, almost seeing the hairs on the back of his peers neck bristle at the mention of the woman in their protection.

"I know you are, but not dying isn't exactly proof of complicity." Chandler answered, trying his best not to let his annoyance show, knowing how much it affected the DC and not wanting to see his face duck lower down than it already was, his mop of curled hair bobbing with disappointment and dismay that the elder would not acknowledge his concerns. Soon enough Chandler realised he had stopped moving and carried on along the corridor, down the stairs to the investigation room. Kent tried to seem undeterred and saw now as his chance to share with the DI the true extent of his worries, doing his best to ignore the small burst of anger, and possibly jealousy, in his chest.

"It seems to me that if I were a spree killer on a rampage, I'd need to stay one step ahead of the police all time." Kent said, ignoring the fact that his DI definitely wanted him to stop talking, and pronto.

"The best way to do that is to have someone inside." Kent continued, trying not to notice that the person he was talking to was blatantly ignoring him, or at least pretending to. "So Morgan gets attacked, but then you take her home only that's no good to her, so she gets 'attacked' again, and this time she stays here." Kent put emphasis on the 'attacked' and hoped that Chandler was taking in even some of what he was saying. Maybe even acknowledging it even if he thought it was utter bull. Kent didn't mind being told he was wrong but being ignored stung. "She's safe here, so no one watches her." Kent has always been nothing but persistent and pried on even though he could see his words were winding his DI up further and further. "She's free to move around, listen to what's going on," Kent paused slightly, unsure whether to carry on, "- and report back." That was when Joe snapped, turning around to face Kent and looking if not angry, the irritated.

"Report to whom?" Chandler said defensively, disliking the way the young DC's words were worming further and further into his head. Kent sighed, he was hoping Chandler would at least consider his words before throwing them back at him like they meant nothing more than the paper he threw in his paper bin and emptied daily.

"Look," Kent sighed, "we've just accepted her version of events, but what if she's involved with Luke Watney? What if she agreed that the kids on the estate tortured his dad to death? She might have been on his side all along." Chandler shook his head, trying to create a counter argument in his head that he knew was there.

"You think Morgan is helping Luke Watney to exact revenge?" Chandler replied incredulously, not even trying to sound considering anymore, Kent was beginning to get on his nerves. Or that's what he told himself anyway.

"I do." Kent said, fully believing the words he was telling his DI. If he wasn't the slightest bit sure he wouldn't have ever mentioned it for fear of being shunned like he knew he would be. Being laughed at for his opinion happened on a regular basis, but Kent knew it would sting more from his DI, and his kind of (extreme) crush, to do the same.

"I have a precedent. After Starkweather killed her parents and sister, Caril Ann Fugate repeatedly lied to neighbours and police to cover up all the murders. She would do anything for him." Kent carried on, seeing that his words had made the DI stop, even if he wasn't even attempting to consider them him just trying to seem like he was paying attention was enough for Kent to live with. Either that or the man was simply trying to contain his anger.

"I think you're wrong." Chandler simply said, not wanting to carry on the argument. Not even allowing a shimmer of doubt to cloud his mind about Morgan he began to walk away from the man, noticing that he not did not follow.

"You're making a mistake." Kent said, hoping that that was enough to change the man's mind. Getting desperate after realising his words had no effect, Kent decided to tell the DI what was really happening, even if neither of them wanted to admit it. "You can't see it because you don't want to because you're clearly attracted to her!" Kent called, immediately regretting the words as soon as they left his mouth. Chandler froze, slowly turning back to the younger man with a murderous look in his eye. Kent winced slightly at the fact it was pointed at him but he did his best to lift his head high and seem like it didn't affect him. Boss and job be damned, he wasn't allowed to let this murderer get away because the lead investigator couldn't handle his feelings.

"What did you say? What have you got against Morgan? You've obviously got a problem with her. What is it?" Chandler began to walk back to the younger man, getting close enough to feel his slightly quickened breath on his face. Chandler felt almost guilty for the doe eyed look in the DC's eyes but decided enough was enough. Kent did his best to gather his words together to reply to the older man and not make a complete twat of himself in the process feeling his cheeks darken slightly at the proximity.

"Just… Just a feeling." Kent said, cursing himself at the small stutter to his words. Though to be fair it was miracle he was still even standing and hadn't melted to a puddle on the floor at the close proximity.

"I'm going to assume that your 'feelings' are down to the fact that you've been on duty for over 36 hours." Chandler said, shaking his head slightly and stepping away from the younger man before he did anything he would regret. As soon as Chandler moved away Kent let out the breath he was holding and did his best to get himself under control. He was hurt that his DI blamed his lack of sleep on his feelings and not his good judgement. He shook his head, but Chandler either didn't notice or didn't want to.

"Fatigue is clouding your judgement." Joe finished, stepping further away from Kent and moving to leave. This was the moment Kent needed. Either he told him now or he just quit his job and moved elsewhere, or both. With a small burst of adrenaline Kent said what he had been wanting to.

"No, sir." Chandler froze at the words, unused to the DC stepping out of line.

"I beg your pardon?" Kent thought about backing down but decided he needed to get it out and if he didn't he was gonna get teased for the rest of his life. He'd probably get teased for the rest of his life anyway but Kent decided to at least try. Ignoring the small tear attempting to escape from his right eye he pressed on.

"You're wrong. It's not 'fatigue clouding my judgement', it's you." That made Chandler stop, wondering if the words he was hearing were actually being said or he was just slowly losing his last threads of sanity. Kent either didn't notice that Chandler had stopped due to the fact he was staring at his hands or did and pressed on anyway.

"It's you. Ever since you first walked onto the crime scene in that ridiculous tuxedo I was gone. I tried to ignore it but it's just kept building up and up and even when you fired me during the Kray case it didn't make any difference and I thought I was gonna be stuck forever. Every time I've thought about telling you I've been too scared and worried about how you'll hate me but it's too much. I'm telling you, then I'm gonna quit and you'll never have to see me again." Kent sucked in a breath, still too busy staring at his hands to look at Chandler's astonished face.

"So, what I'm trying to say is. It's not fatigue clouding my judgement, it's my strong feelings for you." He finished, the adrenaline all gone and Kent began to feel mortified that he'd burst at his boss like that. He was never going to get a good recommendation for a new job now. He had to get out of here, and now. Kent glanced up, not daring to look at Chandler's face to work out the best way to escape before Chandler began shouting in disgust at him or laughed or worse. Seeing the only exit was past his soon to be ex-boss, Kent gulped a breath, ignored the tears streaming down his face and made a dash, hoping Joe wouldn't try to stop him. Just as Kent ran, Chandler grabbed his wrist, preventing him from leaving the room. The young DI began to panic, terrified of what would happen and how the man before him would react.

"Sir, please. I'll just sign my resignation and you can carry on as normal." Kent whispered trying to hide his face behind his hair that seemed to have become more unruly do his continuous running his fingers through it. For a while Kent just stood there, his DI holding his wrist in a grip too strong to escape, silent.

"What if I don't want you to resign?" Chandler spoke finally, surprising Kent out of his self-loathing, however he still didn't look until a caroused hand on his chin made him. Tear streaked hazel met soft turquoise as Kent looked at Chandler, flinched for fear that his boss was joking and would laugh in his face. But instead the complete opposite happened. Slowly, Chandler swiped his thumb across the tear tracks down Kent's face.

"S..sir?" Kent questioned, confused as to what happening and not letting the small bubble of hope inside his chest out until he was definite it was true and wouldn't just be crushed. Chandler hushed the younger man, still wiping the tears gently away from his eyes.

"Is what you said true?" Chandler said gently, as if talking to an easily startled deer and not a full grown (well almost full grown) male. Kent looked up confusedly.

"What do you mean?"

"About how you feel about me?" Chandler prodded, not letting Kent scamper off to the carpark to cry like he truly wanted to do.

"Um… yes, every word. Its ok if you-" Chandler hushed Kent's worries with his lips catching the younger mans, not letting the words of self-deprecation out. For a moment Kent stood stock still, confused as to what was happening but as soon as his overheating brain caught up he melted into the older man, worries forgotten for now. Sooner than Emerson would have liked Joe pulled away, smiling down at Kent as he subconsciously chased for the warmth of Chandler to return. Kent blushed a light shade of pink before grinning cheekily.

"So, I'm gonna take it that you feel the same." Kent grinned, causing Chandler to chuckle, making Kent feel warm and gooey inside.

* * *

_From inside the Investigation Room_

"Finally!" Miles cheered, hearing the DI and young DC's conversation, thin walls and all, not because he was pressed up against it listening.

"I was wondering how long it would take them to get together, bloody idiots." Miles finished, chuckling fondly and slapping Mansell round the back of the head for suggesting an alcoholic beverage in celebration.


End file.
